White House cites Baltimore as beneficiary in proposed trade deal

An Obama administration trying to drum up domestic support in favor of new trade deals pointed to Baltimore on Tuesday as a region that would benefit from new agreements to open up international commerce.

During a conference call with reporters, White House officials pushed the idea that new trade deals hold huge potential for the U.S. and Baltimore economies. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake also took part in the call, weighing in for trade agreements she said would benefit the city's economy by boosting the Port of Baltimore and port-related jobs.

The call comes as President Barack Obama is trying to close a massive trade deal between the U.S. and 11 other countries on both sides of the Pacific Rim. That deal, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, would include Australia, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, and Japan — representing an estimated 40 percent of the global economy. It would not include China.

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